Put Your Phone Down

As a people we have lost the plot. Because we can document
everything, we will, and we can’t stop. Every event is now a sea of
people with their arms held up in a triangle, forming an illuminati
symbol with our phones at the apex. We’ve gone too far. It has to
stop. Like a Beyoncé concert, the New York City fireworks were a
nightmare of phones, and for what? For nothing. Data for your
cloud. You can fully understand why performers—and brides and
grooms!—want to ban all cellphones at events.

Take a picture of a flower, a baby, a cat, a sidewalk, an
airplane, a painting, please. Please do! It’s wonderful that we all
have instant access to an artistic practice that was once expensive
and elitist. But the compulsory documentation of everything is
monstrous. Let it stop with you.

The fireworks as seen from Brooklyn Bridge Park were beautiful.
I don’t even really like fireworks! As a tall person, I was happy
to be able to see through your arms and around your phones. I hope
you’re treasuring all those photos right now.